IELTS

ACADEMIC
WRITING

PRACTICES AND
SAMPLE ANSWERS
TASK 1 (20 MINUTES)
TASK 2 (40 MINS)
Question-
Many museums charge for admission while others
are free.
Do you think the advantages of charging people
for admission to museums outweigh the
disadvantages?
1ST PARAGRAPH
Some museums have an admission charge while
some do not. In my opinion, the drawbacks of an
entrance fee are eclipsed by its benefits in the sense
that the income will be ploughed back into operation
and development of the museums.
Excellent. You have outlined what you are going to talk
about and at the same time made your opinion very
clear. This is exactly what you need to do to make it
clear to the examiner what you think about the
question and also helps them to follow the rest of your
essay.
2ND PARAGRAPH
A major disadvantage of an admission fee is the possibility
of reducing the number of visitors. Museums house
exhibitions and artifacts of great educational and historical
value. If the chief aim of a museum is to introduce the local
community, admission should be free to the public and
visitors. Take some folk museums in Hong Kong, which
preserve historic relics and display folk customs, for
example. Admission to these folk museums, which are often
monuments, is free of charge. If they had charged an
entrance fee, many might have turned to other activities.
Excellent. Clear and relevant main reasons and fully
developed idea. It was great to see how you took one
central idea and developed it fully with explanations and a
specific example.
3RD PARAGRAPH
Granted, an entrance fee might have a negative effect on
the admission figures, but an income is favorable to
museums in terms of operation. Museums feature
educational exhibitions at times, and this could not have
been done without a sum of money expended on hiring
professionals and buying equipment. The Hong Kong
Space Museum, for instance, has monthly exhibitions on
different issues and professional docents are employed to
take visitors on a guided tour around the museum. This
example speaks volumes about how a reasonable
admission charge is advantageous to the operation of a
museum.
As above. I particularly like the way you linked both main
ideas in the first sentence.
4TH PARAGRAPH
In conclusion, the disadvantages of an admission fee
are overshadowed by the benefits accruing from a
stable source of income. Therefore, having weighed up
the pros and cons, I am convinced that museums
should charge an entrance fee for the sake of
operation and development.
Very elegant conclusion. You have summarised your
main points and reiterated your opinion. Well done.
Lots of museums charge a fee while others do not. This essay thinks that the
benefits of charging do not outweigh the drawbacks because open access to relics
and art is more important than generating money that the government should supply
in any event.
The main disadvantage is that high fees exclude a large proportion of the population,
especially in less developed countries. Many people in poorer countries have just
enough money for food and shelter. Exhibits are one of the few cultural activities they
can enjoy free of charge. For example, Egypt has millions of people living in poverty,
but also a rich and ancient culture and it is therefore important that everyone gets to
experience these artefacts. Another big negative is that students and children who
are learning about the world may not be able to visit. It would be a huge shame if art
students could not see their favourite painters or sculptors work in real life because
their finances could not cover the cost.
Despite this, there are some who say that museums are unsustainable without the
money they might get from ticket sales. They say that this allows the building to
remain open and it is better that some people get to experience it, rather than none
at all. To this I would say that the government should step in and cover the cost
because culture is as important as anything else it spends money on. For instance,
in the UK there have been huge government spending cuts over the last few years,
but the museums have not had their funding reduced because of their importance to
the countrys cultural heritage.
In conclusion, although some might say that places of culture should be run like a
business, the cost to the education and heritage of the country is too great and they
should remain free to all.
TASK 1
MAKE IT BETTER!
The diagram shows details about processes which people apply to
reuse rainwater for personal purposes. As can be seen from the
diagram, before human can use and reuse rainwater, there are some
steps that need to be done/steps to do.

Firstly, when rain falls, water is contained in Dam and then the water in
Dam is pumped to Water Treatment Plant for treatment in order to
create Drinking Water. This amount of water then is supplied to house
for consumption. After the treated rainwater is used by people living in
the house for household purposes, it becomes Household Wastewater
and is moved to Wastewater Treatment Plant. At this plant, the water is
completely purified and recycled to the house for consumption again
and the rest is sent to river.
Secondly, when it rains, the rainwater running from the roofs of
the houses is collected in a water tank. The water can be used for
a variety of household needs.

Finally, we also can see in the diagram that the stormwater from
the rainfall flows through the pipe to the river.
TASK 2
Recent research has shown that media like the Internet and TV
have a greater influence over peoples lives than politicians.
Which do you consider to be the greater influence?
TV/Internet > politicians
-instantaneous/intense
-persuasiveness
-coverage
-accessibility
MAP QUESTIONS
1. Describe one map in the present day. (rare)
2. Describe two maps- one in the present and
one in the future. (occasional)
3. Describe two maps- one in the past and one
in the present. (most common)
MAP QUESTIONS: STRUCTURE
Paragraph 1: Paraphrase question
(synonym) one sentence
Paragraph 2: Overview (general statements
about the map) two sentences
Helpful guiding questions: Is the map more or less
residential? Is there more or less countryside? Are there
more or less trees? Were the changes dramatic or
negligible? Were there any major improvements in
infrastructure? How have the buildings and leisure
facilities changed?
MAP QUESTIONS: STRUCTURE
Paragraph 3: main body (specific changes)
three to four sentences
Paragraph 4: main body (further specific
changes) three to four sentences
EXAMPLE
DESCRIBE GENERAL
CHANGES
Below are some examples of general statements we could use to
describe change in towns and cities.
Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.
From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular
developments.
The village changed considerably over the time period.
During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally
transformed.
Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally
reconstructed.
Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
The central business district was completely modernised during
the time period.
DESCRIBE SPECIFIC
CHANGES
Trees and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed,
planted.
The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.
The trees were cleared to make way for houses.
Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended,
expanded and removed.
The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the
river.
Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.
A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
A park was developed beside the forest.
DESCRIBE LOCATIONS
The forest to the south of the river was cut down.
A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.
The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.
The green fields to the north-west of the city were
redeveloped as a park.
The airport in the centre of the city was relocated to
the north-east of the river.
The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new
one built to the east of the forest.
LOCATIONS: PREPOSITIONS OF
PLACE
Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
To the south of the town, there is a golf course
surrounded by trees.
A new school was built next to the swimming pool.
The old road running from north to south was replaced by a
new motorway.
A marina was built on the banks of the river.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Both maps display an island, before and after it was
developed for tourism.
The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm
trees dotted around it, is surrounded by ocean and has
a beach to the west. Over the period, the island was
completely transformed with the addition of a hotel and
a pier; however the eastern part of the island appears
to have been left undeveloped.
SAMPLE ANSWER
CONTD
The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6
buildings, surrounding some trees, have been built in
the west of the island and 9 buildings have been
constructed in the centre of the island. Between the
two accommodation areas, a reception building and a
restaurant has been developed.
A pier has also been built on the south coast of the
island, allowing yachts access to the resort. Apart from
the trees, the beach remains the only natural feature to
remain relatively untouched; however it does appear
that it is now used for swimming. (160 words)
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